How has everyone's January been faring?
I have to admit that although it's been unseasonably warm in Houston this winter (THANK YOU HOUSTON WEATHER GODS), I still for some reason find myself trying to "muscle through" the months of January/February. I attribute this to lack of sunlight, lack of holidays, inability to jump in the pool (even though it is admittedly warmer than normal), and having lived a life of 30 years filled with plain old winter-hating patterns.
Fortunately I have the cure for the winter blues: Good friends and good food! (...and good drinks). A night or two (or eight) of these elements combined at a stellar Houston restaurant will make any winter-hater turn that frown upside down!
On one such night last week, I went to dinner with my #yogidinnerclub friends Kate, Danielle, Frances, Val, and Jill at Foreign Correspondents, the new(ish) Thai restaurant in Houston's Heights neighborhood (last month our dinner club enjoyed SaltAir Seafood). Before diving into the food menu, we started off with some cocktails. Several of us (myself included) opted for the restaurant's namesake, the Foreign Correspondent.
The concoction of Ford's gin, Thai chili green chartreuse, cucumber, and bitter lemon tonic was light, tangy, incredibly refreshing, and had a little kick to it. This drink would be perfect served poolside! (SOON.)
To start, we ordered the restaurant's much-raved about crispy fried herbs with special sauce.
To start, we ordered the restaurant's much-raved about crispy fried herbs with special sauce.
Instead of tossing the herbs in its usual pork and shrimp sauce, our server offered to bring it to us with the sauce on the side to make it vegetarian. The fragrant herbs were absolutely outstanding. They were lightly battered, super crunchy, and bursting with various lively, earthy flavors. In addition to the pork and shrimp sauce, they were served with a creamy "special sauce," which cut through some of the strong flavors a bit and offered a very nice balance. This was an awesome appetizer and definitely one of my favorite dishes of the evening. I certainly see what all the fuss is about!
In addition to individual portions of food, the restaurant offers different sized prix fixe family style options, should you decide to go that route. We opted to order the dinner for four, as well as add on a few items from the vegetarian menu, which they provided me with when I told them I didn't eat meat or fish.
First off was the roasted tomato chili dip, which came with the dinner for four.
Our server explained that this was a newer item on the menu, and that people often compare it to salsa. And we all agreed! The acidic, chunky, tart dip was delicious and INCREDIBLY spicy. Definitely cleared everyone's nostrils right up! The root and winter vegetables served alongside the dip were steamed al dente and served as great vessels for this sassy dip.
Next up with our food, we tried the stuffed sticky rice from the vegetarian menu.
I LOVED this dish. Coconut sticky rice was mixed with mashed sweet potato, then grilled in some sort of leaf (banana leaf? corn husk? palm? why do I have a food blog again?). The dish was so simple, yet SO good. It was sweet, soft, absolutely delightful, and hands down my favorite dish of the evening!
We also were presented with individual servings of sticky rice in adorable basket containers (because "basket containers" isn't redundant) to have with some of of our entrees. Our server advised us to eat it with our fingers, and we happily obliged!
Next up from the restaurant's vegetarian food menu we tried the vegetarian chiang mia curry (gaeng hung lay).
This briny stew was earthy and soul-warming. Sweet potatoes, turnips, and butternut squash were swimming in a hearty broth and sprinkled with peanuts. I was a huge fan of yet another very fragrant, and very colorful dish!
After that, we tried the khao soi from the vegetarian menu.
This was probably my least favorite food item of the evening, and not because it was bad. Thick and creamy with dry-fried vegetables, crispy noodles, and a hard-boiled egg, the dish was aromatic, sweet, and filled with tropical flavors. It was almost too tropical for my tastes though, and bore a strong resemblance to a drink I often order from the zany tiki bar Lei Low (also located in the Houston Heights area). So basically, I'd rather drink this dish than eat this dish (and maybe light a sugar cube on fire and throw a little rum in there? #help).
The dinner for four contained various other non-veg items that my friends enjoyed, including this whole fried Texas tilapia:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Doesn't it sort of look like that one cashew on top is an earring? Very fancy, Mr. Fish.)
For a unique take on Thai food in Houston, look no further than Foreign Correspondents. Each dish was vibrant, fragrant, and bursting with a multitude of flavors that differ from the norm. The service that night was great, and the prices were very reasonable, given the amount and high quality of food we received. This great Houston restaurant is definitely worth a visit!
Take THAT, January.
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